About
Second Harvest Heartland is one of the nation's largest hunger-relief organizations and the second largest food bank in the United States. Based in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, it works to make healthy, nutritious food accessible to households across Minnesota and western Wisconsin, partnering with more than 1,000 food shelves and hunger-relief programs. It is a member of Feeding America, the national network of more than 200 food banks, and operates under the banner "Ending Hunger Together," grounded in the conviction that there is more than enough food for everyone.
Mission
Second Harvest Heartland describes itself as more than a food bank: a leader, convener, and advocate in hunger relief, working to end hunger together by making nutritious food accessible to every household in its region.
What they do
- Food banking and distribution — sourcing and delivering food at scale through a network of more than 1,000 partner food shelves and hunger-relief programs across Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
- SNAP outreach — helping eligible neighbors enroll in SNAP (food stamp) benefits.
- Senior and child nutrition — food boxes for seniors through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and summer meal programs for children.
- Kitchen Coalition — preparing and distributing ready-to-eat meals.
- FOODRx — an innovation program connecting food and health care.
- Local farm partnerships — including work with The Good Acre supporting 48 emerging growers.
- Advocacy — championing policies such as SNAP and school meals.
Scale and impact
In its most recent year the organization reports providing more than 143 million meals through its partner network. It employs a staff of roughly 200 people from its Brooklyn Park facility.
Financials
According to Form 990 filings compiled by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (EIN 23-7417654), Second Harvest Heartland reported total revenue of $276.8 million, total expenses of $314.5 million, and total assets of $87.5 million for the fiscal year ending September 2025. The organization states that more than 91 percent of every dollar it spends goes toward food and hunger-relief programming, with less than 4 percent spent on general and administrative expenses. It holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and publishes annual reports (2023, 2024, and 2025) on its website.
Governance
Second Harvest Heartland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit governed by a 27-person board of directors and led by an 11-person executive team. The organization discloses that its CEO's total target compensation is around $450,000 annually, in line with other large nonprofits and food banks, with a CEO-to-entry-level pay ratio of 9 to 1.